Pizza Port Bressi Ranch "Soft" Opening/Grand Opening--San Diego Brewery Review

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Outside Patio

Line to order pizza

Pizza Port Bressi Ranch
2730 Gateway Rd
Carlsbad, CA

  So, late today (5pm) I learned Pizza Port was FINALLY opening their Bressi Ranch location. I high tailed it over there as soon as I could and here are the pictures...

  The brewery onsite will not be up for another 2 or so weeks, but there are plenty of brews on tap from all of the other Pizza Port locations as well as Port Brewing and Lost Abbey.
  Credit card machines were down so they were taking cash only...didn't appear to be a problem for the hundreds of people there...Crazy crowded and the announcement never went out on their Facebook page or Website, pretty much word of mouth, Friday will be NUTS!
  They are currently running a contest for patrons to create the "Pizza Bressi". If your pizza creation is chosen you will receive a $100 gift card good at all Pizza Port locations and it never expires. 


1st floor beer line and taps

Looking from 2nd floor into brewery and canning



Looking down from 2nd floor at the fish tank

San Diego Beer Review: Stone Vertical Epic 11.11.11

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Stone Brewing
1999 Citracado Parkway
Escondido, CA 92029
www.stoneworldbistro.com


This beer has been in wrapped in a paper bag in my fridge for over 2 years, and last week I finally cracked it open. The wait was worth it...


Belgian Strong Dark Ale
9.4% ABV


Appearance:
Pours a crystal clear, deep red/amber. Quite beautiful. Thick head.

Pizza Port Bressi Ranch Update: The Walls Go UP!!

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Click on the picture for a larger image

Click on the picture for a larger image

 

I grabbed these pics from a Facebook post. Hope the author doesn't mind...

San Diego Beer Review: New English Brewing Troopers Tipple IPA

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New English Brewing Co.
11545 Sorrento Valley Rd.
Suite 305
San Diego, CA 92121
www.newenglishbrewing.com

New English Brewing has been around for a while and has won several awards. They used to run under the name La Jolla Brewery and then around 2007-2008 changed their name to New English. This is the first time I have seen and had one of their bottled beers, not sure if this is because they just started bottling or if I have just not been in the right shops...


IPA (ABV 5.1%)

San Diego Beer Review: Stone 16th Anniversary IPA

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Stone Brewing
1999 Citracado Parkway
Escondido, CA 92029
www.stoneworldbistro.com

Stone was one of the first San Diego microbreweries I tried back in the late 90's. I loved it back then, and that still holds true today. Stone is renowned for coming up with great collaboration beers, as well as beers with interesting combinations of ingredients. Every year their Anniversary ales push the limits in one or both of these categories. This year is no different.

 The Double IPA they brewed was made with a little bit of rye malt, Amarillo and Calypso hops, as well as lemon verbena and lemon oil....How's that for a "combination" beer?

Double IPA (10% ABV)

San Diego Beer Review: Mission Brewery Amber Ale

Mission Brewery
1441 L Street
San Diego Ca 92101

After the first two Mission brews I tried were very good, I thought I would check out another one. You can check out those previous reviews here: Double IPA and here: IPA .

Amber Ale (5% ABV)

Pizza Port Bressi Ranch: Unofficial/Official Groundbreaking

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Pizza Port Bressi Ranch
2794 Gateway Rd (subject to change)
Carlsbad, CA 92009

I had the good fortune to be able to attend the unofficial/official groundbreaking for Pizza Port's newest location in San Diego... Bressi Ranch (East Carlsbad). It was a gloomy day but spirits were high among the 30 or so attendees. OB Pizza Port sent a bus full of employees up for the occasion. Shark Bite and Carlsbad Chronic were on tap along with a nice spread of assorted BBQ... brats, sausages, "pork wings", etc. There was some candy for the kids, though the OBceans decimated that ;)

San Diego Beer Review: Coronado Brewing Mermaid's Red

Coronado Brewing
170 Orange Ave
Coronado, CA 92118

Coronado Brewing has been around for a few years now and I am starting to see more and more of their bottled beers carried locally. I haven't had the chance to visit the brewery yet, but based on what I have tasted recently, I definitely need to get down there soon.

This first review will be on their Mermaid's Red. This is actually the first beer they ever brewed, and is a great example of why they have been able to grow into the operation they are today.

Mermaid's Red Premium Ale (5.7% ABV)


Appearance:
Pours a cloudy amber out of the bottle. A 1.5cm head forms with with medium bubbles and leaves a light lacing.


Smell:
Roasty malts. Hint of choclate and burnt sugar/caramel. Slight hop aroma, more of a spice than citrus/resin.


Taste:
The roasted malts give a hint of coffee, chocolate and caramel. There is a little bit of spice that plays on the tongue and pops with the carbonation. The bitterness hits the back of the tongue and the top of the month.


Mouthfeel:
Medium body with a nice bit of warming from the spice, not an alcohol heat.


Overall:
This is a beautiful Red that really highlights the qualities of a "traditional" red beer. Roasted malts, spicy hops and a little bit of bitterness at the back of the mouth. The additional hints of chocolate and coffee are a pleasant bonus.

San Diego Beer Review: Iron Fist Velvet Glove Imperial Stout

Iron Fist Brewing
1305 Hot Spring Way #101
Vista, CA 92081

First off I need to thank my bro SG (you know who you are..) for the gift of this sweet bottle of Iron Fist VG!

Iron Fist Brewery is part of the growing North County Beer Triangle. This is an area that derserves exploring for any visitor to San Diego or Orange County. Hell, if you are anywhere is Southern California you need to make the pilgrimage to the North County of San Diego. You will find multiple high quality and nationally renowned breweries here, including but not limited to: Iron Fist, Port Brewing/Lost Abbey, Mother Earth Brewing,....hmmm...rather than go into this now I will make a separate post that discusses NC SD Beers in more detail...

On to the review...!

Velvet Glove Imperial Stout (9% ABV)

Appearance:
This beer pours thick and dark. The color is either a very very dark brown or it is pure black. I tried everything to get a hint of the true color..up to shining an extremely bright flashlight through the glass. The light did not penetrate any portion of the beer...so I am going with pure black here. On initial pour it forms a 2cm thick dark brown head with tight small bubbles. Beautiful lacing from the head on the sides of the glass.

Smell:
Massive coffee notes (very roasty) with some malty sweetness.

Taste:
First taste hits you with big choclate and coffee flavor. Hint of hops in the middle of the tongue but I believe the majority of the bitterness here is from the espresso/coffee that as been inserted into the brewing process. I am both a dark chocolate and coffee consumer...sometimes in larger than normal quantities... ;) The bitterness here is definitely of the coffee variety and not dark chocolate. The is a sense of the sweetness of the malt here as well.

Mouthfeel:
Sliky and smooth. The carbonation provides a nice "pop" on the center of the tongue.

Overall:
A nice clean rendition of a chocolate stout, with a coffee bitterness that offsets it from a traditional chocolate stout. I would definitely recommend this beer in bottle form to anyone who is a stout/porter connoisseur. If you are just getting into stouts or porters...this beer might not be for you.

NOT FOR THE FAINT OF HEART!

San Diego Beer Review: Port Brewing Wipe Out IPA

Port Brewing Co.
155 Mata Way, Suite 104
San Marcos, CA 92069

I have to admit upfront that Port Brewing/Lost Abbey is my favorite brewery. The people who own it are great and down to earth and the vast majority of their employees are the same. The fact that each Pizza Port brews a unique selection of beers is also a huge plus.

Wipe Out IPA (7.0% ABV)

Appearance:
Pours a mostly clear and very light caramel color. It is just cloudy enough that you cannot see all the through the glass. Has a mixture of small tight bubble and a few medium/large bubbles. The head rises to approximately 2cm on initial pour with a retention of about 5mm. The head reforms easily upon agitation.

Smell:
Big citrus here....grapefruit

Taste:
Definately taste the grapefruit with a hint of rind. This beer has a bitter, resiny finish that lingers around the tip and the top of the tongue. Carbonation also bounces off the tip and top of the tongue for a zestiness...

Mouthfeel:
Silky. Grabs the tip and top of the tongue (I know this is getting redundant, but it the best way I can describe it...)

Overall:
A bold West Coast IPA that sets the bar high for all others to follow. This beer is one of my favorites. I really enjoy drinking this beer with spicy food. One of my best experiences with this beer was going to a restaurant in Atlanta called TacoMac (ya weird name, Google it for the story...it is pretty cool) and to my surprise seeing Wipe Out on tap. So I ordered a pint and a plate of their 3 Mile Island wings....spicy food beer heaven...  :)

San Diego Beer Review: Green Flash Brewing Le Freak

Green Flash Brewing Company
6550 Mira Mesa Blvd.
San Diego, CA 92121

I had the chance to taste Le Freak originally at the Belgian Beer Festival at Pizza Port in Carlsbad last year. I liked it at the time but wasnt sure if it was because of how different it was from a lot of what was being served there or if I was just hammered...

After trying it out of the bottle I would have to say that my original thought was correct, I liked it because it was different.

Le Freak (9.2% ABV)

Appearance:
Very frothy, has a tendency to pour with a large head, which is somewhat typical of most Belgians. The initial head was between 3-4cm with medium to large bubbles. Light caramel in color with a slight cloudiness. Upon agitation it will easily reform a head of approximately 3cm.

Smell:
I definitely smell the sweetness of the Belgian yeast here. Even though I know the hops are there I dont seem to get any sense of them in the smell.

Taste:
Carbonation dances on the tongue on the first sip. There is the slightest hint at the very front of the sweetness I normally assocate with a Belgian but the hops definitely take over from there...

Mouthfeel:
The high carbonation gives a "bitey" feel on the outside of the tongue and on the palette. The bitterness grabs the tongue and hangs on for dear life.

Overall:
It is different. Although it has a solid sweet Belgian nose, the normally associated sweet taste is minimal.  The hopiness comes through in the taste but not the smell.

If you like Belgians and IPAs, then this is a great marriage for you to try.

San Diego Beer Review: Mission Brewing Shipwrecked Double IPA

Mission Brewery
1441 L Street
San Diego Ca 92101

Pulled this one out of the fridge to savor while watching the Green Bay/NY game today. I was pleasantly surprised by their standard IPA (see review here ) and was looking forward to trying this one.

Double IPA (9.25% ABV)

Appearance:
Dark caramel color, cloudy. Lots of medium to large bubbles forming a nice 3cm head. Great head retention with massive lacing.

Smell:
Very flowery (sweet honeysuckle) with some citrus undertones

Taste:
Malt sweetness up front with a bitter finish. No alcohol burn which is unusual for a Double IPA.

Mouthfeel:
Coats entire mouth, lingers a bit but is not overwhelming.

Overall:
Perfectly balanced with a brightness that helps bring out its flavors.Very refreshing for a Double IPA, none of the extreme bitterness or strong alcohol taste/smell that goes along with many Double IPAs.

After now reviewing two of Mission Brewing's beers, I am gaining a great amount of respect for what they are doing down there by Petco Park....I look forward to trying many more in the near future.

San Diego Beer Review: Mission Brewery IPA

Mission Brewery 
1441 L Street
San Diego Ca 92101

I have been near Mission Brewery many times for Padres games, but for some unknown reason I have never been inside or had any of their beers...a bit perplexing. My local beer supplier (Sprouts...) had some Mission beers in stock so I grabbed a couple to tryout. First up to the plate was...

Mission IPA (6.8%)

Appearance:
Light caramel coloring, cloudy. Beautiful 1cm head forms on first pour. Nice lacing. Head easily reforms after agitation to regain its initial 1cm height.


Smell:
Floral with sweet undertones. Hint of red licorice or ...Cherry Tootise Pop..?

Taste:
Medium carbonation, great hop character from front to back, from sip to swallow. However, it is not too bitter. Very clean and smooth. The slight maltiness comes through as you press your tongue to the roof of your mouth to swallow.

Mouthfeel:
Hoppiness fills the mouth (again not too bitter) but it is not too heavy.

Overall:
Extremely balanced and drinkable. I really like this beer. As I said earlier I have never had this beer before but I think it just became one of my "go to" beers... I stand IMPRESSED.

This IPA won a Bronze medal at GABF in 2007...I definitely see why.

San Diego Beer Review: Butchers Brewing Mucho Aloha Hawaiian Pale Ale

I reviewed one of Butchers Brewing beers a couple of days ago, saw this one at Sprouts today and picked it up. Still waiting to find out where they are located exactly... ;)

"Hawaiian" Style Pale Ale (5.6% ABV)

Appearance: Light caramel color, clear, low carbonation. Small, fast dissipating head < 2mm. No lacing on glass. Medium bubble size. 1mm head reforms on agitation but quickly dissipates.

Smell: Malty sweetness with a slight hint of nuts

Taste: The malts are definately prominent here, although there is a hint of hops at the top. Bitter when it first hit the tongue then the malts take over.

Mouthfeel: Drinks smooth with a slightly bitter finish. Doesn't coat the entire mouth.

Overall: Drinks smooth, a bit thin in taste and texture. However, I can picture drinking this on a hot and humid Hawaiian day and having it be very refreshing. If that is was they were going for then, in my opinion, they have succeeded.

San Diego Beer Review: Double Shaka-Imperial Mucho Aloha IPA

Never seen or heard of this beer before, bought it at Sprouts in Carlsbad tonight. After researching it a bit on their website, I am a bit confused. In one area of the website it looks like the brewers are from San Diego County (Bonus points!) but they are brewing/bottling at Bayhawk Ales in Irvine, Orange County, California http://butchersbrewing.com/#about-tab . However, a Google search came up with another page showing that they have a location in Barrio Logan, near Petco Park http://www.butchersbrewing.com/about.php ...(bonus points either way but you guys might want to clear up your website...)

Imperial IPA

Appearance: Medium amber color, cloudy, small head with very low retention. Agitation will form a small head of approximately 1mm

Smell: Sweet with caramel undertones. Once agitated there is a definite alcohol odor but it is
not unpleasant

Taste: Slight alcohol taste/burn on first blush, caramel, bitterness of hops do not kick in until well after swallowing

Mouthfeel: Silky, very low carbonation, grips the tongue slightly

Overall: A different take on an Imperial or Double IPA. In my experience Double/Imperial IPAs are very heavy on the hops with a strong flowery/citrus aroma and very bitter. This beer is not overpowering for an Imperial IPA and is fairly easy to drink, even at an ABV of 10%.

Not sure if this is correct but:

Butchers Brewing

1848 Commercial Street

San Diego, CA 92113

San Diego Beer Review: AleSmith IPA

AleSmith
9368 Cabot Drive
San Diego, CA 92126
www.alesmith.com

Bottle-conditioned IPA
Appearance: Very light amber colored, clear, medium carbonation, can easily attain a head (must be careful with your pour), head retention is good, head will grab the sides of the glass from start to finish, head reforms easily after slight agitation.

Smell: Flowery, with resin/citrus undertones

Taste: Light well built IPA with very slight bitterness. There are no overpowering flavors here...nice and balanced

Mouthfeel: Velvety/Grips the tongue slightly on the way down but with medium carbonation

Overall: Easy to drink and not too high on the alcohol content (7.5%). A very good example of what a true IPA should taste like.